spirited
adjective
spir·it·ed
ˈspir-ə-təd 
: full of energy, animation, or courage
a spirited discussion
spiritedly
adverb
spiritedness
noun
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You may see spirited used to describe a conversation, a debate, a horse, or a campaign. And it often shows up in such words as high-spirited ("bold and energetic"), mean-spirited ("spiteful"), and public-spirited ("generous to a community"), all of which reflect the original meaning of spirit, a notion much like "soul" or "personality".
Examples of spirited in a Sentence
The team put up a spirited defense.
She's a very spirited young lady.
Recent Examples on the Web
Under spirited sprints around the Algarve region’s sinewy mountain roads, the range depletion wasn’t terrible, losing about 20 or 25 percent after 90 miles of pushing.
—
Sean Evans, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026
Studt recommends heading over to one of Palm Beach County’s larger nature preserves, such as Cypress Creek Natural Area in Jupiter or Loxahatchee Slough in Palm Beach Gardens, to catch a glimpse of the spirited flocks.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
Sellout crowds and a spirited students section earned accolades across the country, encouraging the NCAA shot-callers to keep San Diego in the rotation.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
The mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves directed the show with an eye toward brilliance of color and vigor of movement; Viviana Goodwin and Justin Austin led a spirited cast, with Kedrick Armstrong conducting and Damien Sneed handling the arrangements.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spirited
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Sean Evans, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026
Studt recommends heading over to one of Palm Beach County’s larger nature preserves, such as Cypress Creek Natural Area in Jupiter or Loxahatchee Slough in Palm Beach Gardens, to catch a glimpse of the spirited flocks.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
Sellout crowds and a spirited students section earned accolades across the country, encouraging the NCAA shot-callers to keep San Diego in the rotation.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
The mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves directed the show with an eye toward brilliance of color and vigor of movement; Viviana Goodwin and Justin Austin led a spirited cast, with Kedrick Armstrong conducting and Damien Sneed handling the arrangements.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spirited
Cite this Entry
“Spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirited. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spirited
adjective
spir·it·ed
ˈspir-ət-əd
: full of courage or energy
a spirited discussion
spiritedly
adverb
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